Hi Ana!
Welcome to planDisney! It's always great to see a question from a fellow Marylander! It sounds like you'll be visiting Walt Disney World Resort during a SPOOK-tacular time of year - how exciting!
Ana,
Cinderella's Royal Table at Magic Kingdom Park is a really popular dining reservation. . .and for good reason! Not only do you get to meet several princess friends, but you can also enjoy a delicious meal from inside Cinderella Castle. Since this reservation is in such high demand, I recommend being ready to book
when your window opens. If you're staying at a hotel in the
Disney Resorts Collection, you'll be able to make dining reservations for the entire length of your stay (up to 10 days), 60 days before your arrival while all other guests can make reservations 60 days before each desired selection.
If you're making a reservation at Cinderella's Royal Table (or any other Table-Service restaurant) inside Magic Kingdom Park on the day of
Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, but do not have party tickets, you are going to want to be sure your reservation begins prior to the park closing time for non-party guests. So if Magic Kingdom is closing at 6:00 PM, you'll want to be sure your reservation is before that time. As long as your reservation is before the park closes, you shouldn't have any trouble finishing your dining experience, and will just be asked to head to the park exit when done. In past years, Guests staying for the party have been issued a wristband so Cast Members can easily identify who should be in the park for the special-ticketed event.
I see you have also done your homework on the
Disney Dining Plan! I love how flexible the plan is as it allows you so many choices when redeeming your meals. You're correct that Cinderella's Royal Table is a very special dining experience and requires the redemption of two Table-Service meals per person. Gratuity is not included with the Disney Dining Plan so you will have the opportunity to pay that at the time of the meal.
Ana, I hope this information helps as you start counting down to your magical vacation! If you have any other questions, please stop by to see us again here at planDisney - we're all ears!
See ya real soon!
Kristi